Belt cleaner



Nov. 7, 1950 J. P.

Filed-Aug. 19 1948 DE WlTT ET AL 2,529,003

BELT CLEANER h 2 Sheets-Shea l John R De Witt Jack 0. Butler JNVENTORS Anon:

Nov. 7, 1950- J. |=-v DE WlTT ET AL ,0 3

' BELT CLEANER Filed Aug. l8. l948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY MM 3% Patented Nov. 7, 1950 BELT CLEANER A John P. De Witt, La Mesa, and Jack 0. Butler, Chula Vista, Calif., assignors of one-half to Wallace M. Johnson, San Diego, Calif.

Application August 19, 1948, Serial No. 45,134,

Claims. (01. 15-1402) The present invention relates tonew and useful improvements in cleaning articles of apparel for personal wear, such as belts and similar objects and more particularly to, means for cleaning the article by pulling the same across a cleaning pad saturated with a cleaning solvent,

An important object of the invention is to provide novel means for saturating the pad and for recovering the excess solvent supplied to the pad and squeezed therefrom during the cleaning operation.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient-and reliable in operation, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the lid of the cleaning device in raised position;

' Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2-2 and 33 of Figure 1;

" Figure 4 is a top plan view with the lid in open position; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a tank of substantially rectangular shape and formed with an opening 5 in its top extending throughout the greater portion of the tank.

Brackets or rails 1 are suitably secured inside the tank below the open top thereof and on which is supported a perforated plate 8 having an absorbent pad 9 resting thereon and with the upper surface of the pad positioned slightly above the upper edges of the opening of the tank as is shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings.

Also supported on the perforated plate 8 along the rear end of pad 9 is a perforated spray tube I 0 to which a hose l l is attached extending downwardly in the tank for attaching to the lower end of a pump barrel I2.

The pump barrel I2 is suitably suspended under a closed top section l3 at one end of the tank Tin " with a plunger or piston l4 working in the barrel and projecting upwardly therefrom to form an operating handle. Thelower end of pump barrel I2 is supported above the bottom of the tank and is formed with an inlet opening I5 having a ball check valve [6 seated thereon and held in' position by a coil spring I! positioned under the plunger 14. The outlet for the pump is shown at l8 and to which the hose H is attached.

A bracket I9 rises from the rear end of the closed top l3 of the tank and is rolled at its upper edge to form a tube 20 in which one end of a rod 2! is supported with its other end elevated in a horizontal position at the rear edge of the opening 5 in the tank and above the spray tube H].

A lid 22 is rolled at its rear edge to form a tube 23 which is rockably supported on rod 2| in a position for raising and lowering on top of pad 9 by means of a handle 24 at the front end of the lid.

In the operation of the device a suitable cleaning solvent is placed in tank 5 and plunger M of the pump operated to spray the solvent over pad 9 to saturate the pad.

A belt, or other article to be cleaned, is then placed on pad 9 and lid 22 closed to hold the article tightly on the pad and the article then drawn across the pad to thus clean the article.

Excess solvent contained in the pad or squeezed therefrom during the cleaning operation is drained back into tank 5.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A cleaner of the class described comprising a tank, a perforated tray in the top of the tank,

a pad supported on the tray, a pump arranged for supplying a cleaning fluid from the tank to the pad to saturate the pad, means for holding an article to be cleaned on top of the pad while drawing the article over the pad, said means comprising a manually operated pressure plate.

3. A cleaner of the class described comprising a tank having an opening in its top, a perforated shelf supported in the opening, an absorbent pad supported on the shelf with its upper surface exposed at the top of the tank, a pump attached to the tank for saturating the pad with a cleaning fluid contained in the tank, and a cover for the pad and holding an article to be cleaned on top of the pad while drawing the article over the pad.

4. A cleaner of the class described comprising a tank having an opening in its top, an absorbent pad supported in the opening with its upper surface exposed at the top of the tank, a pump attached to the tank for saturating the pad with a cleaning fluid contained in the tank, and a hinged pressure plate at one edge of the tank movable into and out of position on top of the pad to hold an article to be cleaned against the pad while drawing the article over the pad.

5. A cleaner of the class described comprising a tank having an opening in its top, a perforated plate supported in the opening, an absorbent pad supported on the plate with its upper surface exposed at the top of the tank, a pump mounted in the top of the tank for supplying a cleaning fluid contained in the tank to the pad, said plate draining excess fluid back to the tank, and a pressure plate hinged to one edge of the tank for movement into and out of position on top of the pad for holding an article to be cleaned against the pad while drawing the article over the pad.

JOHN P. DE WITT.

JACK O. BUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

